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Hello allI have recently picked up a few single line kites(itchiban, mantis MANTA, etc) and wanted to get some sugestions on securing the kite to the ground. I mostly fly inland so I do not see sand much. I just did not want to go through trial and error to find the proper way. Any links or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Thanks muchBryanP.S.I will be up at Squaw Valley this weekend and hope to see some of you there

around here when the guys fly the bigger stuff i see them use what looks like a really big railroad spike which they hammer into the ground at an angle.they also tie kites off to trees or sports goals or anything else heavy when available.

i use a collection of tent pegs/golf balls on a stick/big honking orange plastic pegs/corkscrew dog stakes/lengths of webbing to go around trees-benches etc....

some people do neat little knots around the stake.....me...well...

i wrap the line around the head of the stake about 25 times or so and have never had one slip......

i am NOT a sand flyer....but for sand you can use a sand anchor (flat square of fabric with line/webbing at each corner-bury this in the sand) or my fave-if i used one- a 2x4" about 24" long with a piece of rope tied through a hole - then bury the wood and have the line sticking out.....

i have also tied a kite off to my vehicles roof rack.....or to a piece of webbing looped around the tire (where the tire is on the ground!!!!!) for a biggerkite....

even lighter puling kites i have been known to tie them off/clip them to the kite bag too....or just hang onto the line....simple

once yoy get the hang of how much the kites pull you will figger out anchors.....you can never be too heavy if you are worried about one....

around here when the guys fly the bigger stuff i see them use what looks like a really big railroad spike which they hammer into the ground at an angle.they also tie kites off to trees or sports goals or anything else heavy when available.

I think your talking about construction stakes or spikes. You can find them in the big hardware stores (lowes, Home Depot, etc) back in the construction/lumber area. Right next to them you can usually also find lengths of rebar that work very well. Beyond that large sporting good or outdoor stores usually carry a pretty good supply of different length tent stakes. Some of those will work well but most will not support a great load!

You will get a lot of different opinions about them but the large twist in dog stakes can work very well. If you are going to put a heavy load on them you should back them up with some other type of stake..kinda like John speaks of. Some have complained of them breaking....I've never had a problem with them as I don't load them up too heavy. I also tie off to them around the actual stake itself and not the little tab or ring that is attached to them.

As mentioned above, check out the Gomberg site for some directions and visual references.

NICE KITES.....you don't want to lose those!

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Patrick

pgibble on the "old" forum

“I fully appreciate the ability of trees to attract kites. They have special powers that way.”

I've found a double larkshead http://www.brooxes.com/newsite/Downloads/2LarKnot.pdfto be the most effective. Wrap it around your ground stake an you're done. I'll take a pic next time I'm out. The kites you have listed so far have very little pull. Orange tent stake from Target works great and they are cheap.Hope this helps, Geo.

I'm trying but failing to think of a SLK called Mantis. But if it's in the same class as the Ichiban, you don't want to under-anchor (not that you do any time) -- it's too good to lose or damage.

I probably over-anchor. Why not? Off the beach, I usually use the concrete form stakes that Patrick mentioned. Inexpensive and solid. The bigger the kite or higher the wind, the longer the stake. If I feel it's prudent, I'll drive two in an X pattern and wrap a strap around the cross-point.

And evaluate the firmness of the ground. Soft ground will need anchors with more purchase than hard ground.

Always use a strap or something other than the flying line around the anchor to keep the line from abrading. I have large straps and carabiners for the bigger stuff and small straps and 'biners for the smaller. The smaller will usually be good for moderately pulling, mid-size kites like the Ichiban. If you have to, get some heavier line to fasten between the anchor and the flying line. I only use tent pegs for the smallest kites or light winds.

Attach the straps as low to the ground as you can and not at the top of the anchor stakes. Think of it in terms of a lever and the ground as the fulcrum.

If you ever do use a sand anchor at the beach, make sure you bury it with the straps under the cloth to keep the straps from tearing away.

Bottom line, be safe. You don't want metal or other hard anchors pulling out and dragging along after a kite.

What Bob (MtnFlyer) said !! Another good anchor knot that I learned from Dave Gomberg is the "Spanish" knot http://www.gombergkites.com/update/496.html; this is really handy and easy too. The anchor straps that Dave has are very nice too. They keep your line away from the anchor (with a carabiner) and make it easy to tie on low to the ground on the anchor, limiting the fulcrum/pivot action. I carry a 5 lb. sledge to drive in the form stakes, not too much to carry and works in all but the hardest ground. Error on the side of caution and have fun.

For large kites we're partial to cement form stakes, I think that is what Skitch was refering to. They are heavy iron stakes with predrilled holes available in lengths from 12" to 4'. You can insert some heavy line into those holes to larkshead your fly line to like MtnFlyer said to keep from abrading your fly line. Or better: just pick up a couple of dog leashes 3/4 to 1 inch wide, usually available at the dollar store, cut off the buckle (cut the buckle not the strap) and add a leader of heavy fly line or light rope through the loop the buckle was in to create a leader to larkshead to. Don't trust those lightweight pot metal buckles. You can wrap a leash around your stakes, trees, light poles or whatever is handy, just wrap it around and put the tail through the hand loop and your ready to fly.

For smaller kites your golf ball stakes, tent stakes etc. work fine, on those I just do a single or double larkshead on the fly line directly to the stake, if I was using something rough like rebar I would still use a leash or other leader.

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